Rosa Serrano WFM

Personalised feedback for Mata_ratas

What you are already doing well

• Tactical vision: Your most-recent wins show a keen eye for loose pieces and mating nets. The sequence 
  is a great example of converting a material windfall into a clean mate.
• Playing actively with Black: Choosing dynamic defences such as the Old Benoni and the Tartakower set-up often gives you the initiative straight out of the opening.
• Confidence to castle long or keep the king in the centre when the position calls for it. This flexibility is an asset at your level.

Key areas to improve

1. Opening depth & coherence
   • Many of your quick wins arise against lower-rated players, but the same adventurous openings led to trouble against the 802-rated opponent who caught you in the Nimzowitsch/Scandinavian hybrid ( 1.e4 Nc6 2.d4 d5 …).
   • Pick one main line versus 1.e4 and 1.d4 and study the typical pawn structures; this will reduce the number of unknown positions you face.
2. King safety in sharp positions
   • Games you lost often feature an exposed king on c8/cd, sometimes after queenside castling. Double-check forcing moves, especially long diagonal checks and rook lifts along the b-file.
   • Add the habit of asking “What are my opponent’s forcing moves?” before every committal move – this alone will prevent many accidents.
3. Time management & consistent speed
   • Two of your recent losses came on time, even from favourable positions. This suggests over-thinking early moves and then having to blitz later.
   • Aim for a time budget: in 3 + 2 you should still have ~1:40 after move 20. If you drop below that mark, consciously simplify or steer for a clear plan to save seconds.
   • Practice with an incrementless 3 | 0 session once a week; it will teach you to trust your intuition.
4. Handling counter-sacrifices
   • You punish unsound sacs well, but your own piece sacs occasionally misfire (see 18…Ke7? in the Sicilian which left your king stuck in the centre). Work on the difference between a forcing sacrifice and a hope sacrifice.

Targeted study plan (4-week block)

Progress tracker

Personal best so far: 2227 (2022-03-08) – aim to exceed this by +50 in the next two months.
Use the dashboards for motivation:

Mindset tip

Before launching a speculative attack, count defenders vs attackers. If you are not at least +2 on the attack, look for an intermediate move or improve your worst-placed piece first.

Next steps

• Add two 10 | 0 games per week to practice deeper calculation without clock pressure.
• Record critical moments and ask “Why did I choose this move?” – this reflective habit accelerates improvement.
• Revisit this report in a month and tick off completed items.

Good luck, keep the tactics sharp, and remember that steady, measurable gains beat streaky results in the long run!